Shoe-lacing



(No Model.)

W. H. GATES.

SHOE LAGING.

No. 470,376. Patented Mar. 8, 1892,

Witnesses.- W Wm WW%M $11; 0 M y M' wfliiorney Nrrno ATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM II. GATES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MELLEN BRAY, OF NEWVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-LACING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,376, dated March 8, 1892.

Application filed July 16,1891. Serial No. 399,764. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. GATES, of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Lacing for Boots, Shoes, and other Articles, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

Lacing-hooks made of metal and japanned have come to be very generally used on boots and shoes and are liked; but there is the objection raised to them that the contact of the clothing with them soon wears off the japanning, so that the metal shows bright.

The object of my present invention is to prevent this wearing away of the japanning and the catching of the apparel upon the hooks; and it consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the drawings and to the claim hereinafter given, and in which my invention is clearly pointed out. i

' Figure 1 of the drawings is an elevation ofa portion of a boot-upper with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a section on line 00 so on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of ashort section of my improved lacing having the braid fulled or gathered on the cord. Fig. 4:

is a transverse section of the lacing shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the lacing Without fulling or gathering and formed by inserting a solid cord of suitable size in a tubular braid of much larger size and confining it at one side of said braid by a line of stitching along one side of said cord and secured firmly therein by sewing through the cord. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the lacing shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a similar section of a lacing, illustrating a modified form of the lacing, in which the cord is secured in the braid in the process of weaving the braid. Figs. 3, 4C, 5, 6,and 7 are drawn to an enlarged scale.

In the drawings, A and A are the two parts of the boot or other article to be laced.

B is the boot-tongue.

a a are the lacing-hooks, which may be of any desired form, though a comparatively its edge the solid or practically non-elastic cord o, of suitable size and of sufficient strength to sustain the strain of maintaining the laced article in position. The braid may be made elastic by fulling or gathering it upon the cord in the process of uniting it thereto, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, or it may be woven or constructed as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 but in this case the braid should be woven loose, so as to render it elastic in alimited degree in the direction of its length. The cord 0, which is solid and practically non-elastic, is preferably inclosed in the braid in the process of weaving, and when completed will present the appearance in cross-section shown in Figs. 3 and lif fulled or gathered, or as shown in Fig. 7 if woven loose and left without fullness or gathering. The braid may be Woven in the form of a'tube without the cord 0, which is then inserted and the tube sewed together along the side of the cord 0, and said cord is firmly secured in said tube by sewing through the cord, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6, in which e represents the lines of stitching.

In using this lacing the end of the cord 0 is secured to the upper by passing it through an eyelet, with a knot upon its end, or in any other suitable manner, and the lacing is passed zigzag around the various hooks in succession, the corded edge of the lacing being drawn into each hook, while the fiat part of the braid stands upright or partially curved over the outer ends or edges of the hooks a aand projects above said hooks, as shown in Fig. 2.

The advantage of this lacing is that, while it presents a very neat appearance when laced, it effectually prevents the clothing of the wearer coming in contact with the hooks a a to wear ofi the j apanning, thereby doing away entirely with the unpleasant defacement of thehooks which is presented by the lacinghooks now in general use with the ordinary lacing-cord after the japanning is worn off, and in ladies boots to prevent the catching of the apparel upon the hooks.

I claim In testimony whereof I have signed my 10 A lacing for boots and other articles, coin name to this specification, in the presence of prising a narrow flat braid or ribbon of fibrous two subscribing witnesses, on this 14th day of material woven loosely, fulled, or gathered to July, A. D. 1891. render it elastic and having a tube formed in and extending longitudinally along one edge thereof, and a practically non-elastic cord se- Witnesses: cured in said tube and extending lengthwise N. O. LOMBARD, thereof, substantially as described. XVALTER E. LOMBARD.

WILLIAM H. GATES. 

